Method of making composite pictures



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,686,987

R. J. PoMERoY METHOD OF MAKING COMPOSITE PICTURES Filed Feb. '7, 1927 v Een E205 Ha )F50 B/uf Rea Patented Get. 9, 1928.

UNITE@ STATES PATENT GFFICE.

:aoY J. PoMERoY, or Los ANGELES, cALuoRNIA, AssrGNoR or ONE-HALF To FAMOUS PLAYERS-msn CORPORATION, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK METHOD 0F COMPOSITE PICTURES.

Application led February 7, 1927. Serial No. 166,303.

This invention has to do with the making of composite photographs, photographs that embody two or more components which were uct originally associated when first photo- `graphed. The desirability of making composite photographs is particularly marked in the motion picture art and, althou h the invention is not limited to that art, shall therefore explain my methods particularly with motion picture work in view. And in motion picture work, although any two origf' inal scenes or components may be composed into a single photogra h, the, most-common operation involves t e composition of a selected background with selected` action.

The invention to described :hereinafter bears certain broad similarities to methods explained in my co-pending'applications. In my application, Serial Number T6 423, filed December 19, 1925, entitled Photographic method, I described, a procedure -which utilizes what 'for :brevity I term a blue transparency-a transparent positive that is substantially uniformly` transparent to blue light,. bu t :upon-'being' illuminated with red light, then shows,- up substantially as ablack and.- white positive.; Using such a blue transparency (itwill be understood that the selected color -is--arbitrary and nota limitation upon-the inventi'on) I explain insaid application how,by illuminating the image Orr-that transparency with light of a relativel'V minus blue' colorand illuminating the ot er component (in this specific case the action) with blue light, and causing the action component t'ointer-- cept the light of the blue .transparency so as to mask out a corresponding portion of the background image, I am enabled to expose a fresh film to the two components and obtain thereonv the composite photograph. The general idea underlying the method of the prior application is in the use of two mutually exclusive colorscolors having a minus relation to each other; in the relative arrangement of the two components whether those components be real or photographic images or the like) so that one component intercepts or masks out a part of the other; and in the selective exposure of 'different parts of the fresh actinic surface to the different colored lights transmitted from the two components.

That same general idea underlies the method to ce described in this present appliaspects. In specific. forms oimy method where the-blue transparency is used, it.be comes one of the means of selectively exposseparate .partsof the final negative exclusively to flights" of the respective selected colors; but in other forms of the methods that selectivity may be. achieved either in part or wholly' by the use of -other means as for instance suitable colorlters.

The differentiating characteristic of the method to be' described in-this present application as compared with the methodsdescribed in said co-pending applications resides in the use of a photogra hic representation of onecomponent, as or instance a film carrying an'action image,=and which is made to carry selective c'olor filters. selective action which finally exposes one part of the final negative to one component only and another part of the final negative to the other component only may then be reached in either' of two typical manners, one of which involves the use of the blue transparency, the other involving selective (successive) useof printing lights of the two selected colors.

The specific methods illustrative of the present invention will be best understood from the following detailed desc-rlption, reference for this purpose being: had to the accompanyingr drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective showing the arrangement of films or other photographic elements for carrying out one form of the method;

The'

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating another arrangement for the same method;

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating successive arrangements for carrying out another form of the method.

I shall first explain the nature Vof what I term .the blue transparency, and what I term the action positive, then going on to an explanation or' their use in my present methods. f

Assuming that it is desired to compose a given action with a given background scene, an ordinary photograph, either a still photograph or a motion picture photograph, is taken of the background. From the negative thus obtained a positive is made upon a film or other transparency having a bichromated gelatin actinic layer, so as to get what is known as a bic'hromated gelatin image; `and in print-ing this positive -it -is preferred to print through 'the Celluloid or other base so that the outer face of the bichromated gelatin remains comparatively sot, to be'dissolved 'away by a Warm water wash-and thus produce a gelatine relief, 'as is lWell #known This -gelatine relief -image "is next-dyed wither-suitable dye. I have found that a mixture of naptholgreen andwhat is known as -patentblue (alphazurine) =is suitable for the purpose, obtaining agood clear 'blue-color, rendering the blue -gelatinc image very transparent. 'The positive -thus prepared is almost if not-quite uniformly transparent 'to -blue light-over its 'Whole surface. Viewed through red light theiimage immediately shows 'up substantially exact-ly as a-corresponding black and` white positive appears when-'viewed with-red light. These effects are 4obtained 'because fthe'lb'lue transparency isof- -sor'ne'whatthin and light blue-color, passingsome White light and passing more White light in the 'thin parts of the gelatin rimagethan in the thickv partsor theffe'latin image. "-I`l1e opposite effects -will be observedif the transparency be dyed red, as it may `be Withsafranine. `I find a red transparency to be as good as a blue one; 'but for-sake of `simplicity in description s'hall assume the transparency to be blue.

I describe the'blue Atransparency as a posit'iveon the assumption that it is desired to produce a finelcompositenegative. If itbe desired to make a final composite positive, the blue transparency would -of course then be a negative; and likewise what 'I describe here as the-action positive would'then be an action negative.

'The'acti'on positive may preferably be produced by'photographing the selected action, in this case. before a w'hite background so as to' obtain' a. negative with an opaque ground and -a positive with a clear ground surrounding the-action image. In Fig. 1 a simple indication of an action-iimage is shown at 1() surrounded by a clear or transstantially the same color as that of blue transparency T and to dye the clear ground G in a color that has a minus relation to the blue color selected. For that purpose a rcd color like that of a Neon light may he used. Of course it is understood that if it .rcrc desired to make :gi-single composite photoraph of two still subjects orn the positive `'might easilybeidyed or colored by hand; but inmotion picture work such hand coloring is relatively impracticable and a method that` will color the positive in these twofdi'fferential colors is to be desired.

Such a. method of coloring may typically be as follows: Then the positive Pis produced it is first developed and fixed in the usual way. It may then be bleached in a water solutionof sodium chloride, potassium bichromate, and copper sulphate. The proportions maybe: sodium chloride 13:22 grammes; potassium bichromate 0.5 grammes; copper sulphate 1.2 grammes; Water 1.20 ccs. After the -bleaching treatment the positive will then be' fixed in 'plain hypo solution and dried. Then it will be immersed in 'a-Water -solution of chromic chlorideand potassium iodide (chromic chloride 1.0 gramme; potassium' iodide 0.5 gramme; water 200 ccs.) and then passed through adye bath of =alphazu:ine 1( patent blue). .The blue dye follows the image-and dyes'the gelatine of the imagepart a-clear transparent blue. "Next the film is dried and isthen passed-throughla dye bath of safranine' '(anilin pink).v This basic -red -dye is repelled by the blue dye previously 'applied and'dyesonly those portions unaffected by the blue dye. The 'result is that the action positive P has the gelatine of its action imagedyed in a clear blue while all the surrounding ground is dyed in a clear vtransparent red. f a re'd' transparency were used'the color zrelations onthe action :positive would bereversed. I

The result of the first bleaching of positi-ve 1P .is the production of insoluble silver chloride together` with chromium `com pounds,l :as transformation products of xthe reduced-metallic silver which has been the result-of development of the xpositive. The chromium compounds have a tanning and hardeningaction on the gelatin immediately adjacent fthe silver. The subsequent fixing removes the silver chloride lcompletely and leaves a chromium Acompound transparent image.

The subsequent subjection of the positive to thefchromic chloride andpotassium iodide solution isoptional; but when it used ii has the effect of converting chrouiium compounds in the chromium iodidr` compounds sie and makes the image sharper. The acid dye takes only on the hardened portions of the gelatine; or if it takes on the softer portions it is easily Washed out there. The result is a dye image in blue of substantially the same color as that of the blue transparency; but of what may be termed a deeper tone, so that substantially no white light, and therefore no red light, can pass through this blue image. The red basic dye will not take where the blue acid dye is present, and therefore acts only upon the softer or ground portions of the gelatine.

In the form of the method illustrated in Fig. 1 a print is now made through action positive P and blue transparency T onto the .final negative N. This may be done either by contact printing or by any suitable form of projection printing; yit only being requisite that the printing light shall pass through both the action positive and the blue transparency-that the action positive and blue transparency be in effect superposed in printing relation; White light, or any color or mixture' of 1i ht that contains both the red and blue co ors may be'used for this printing operatiorLf It is preferable.' however, to use a light'mixture containing no single color that can pass both the filters; Vand the simplest procedure is merely tense a mixture of blue'and r'edJ lights.' The blue light alone can pass 'through the action image 10; and that blue light' passes on through blueftransparen'cy T"just as if the blue transparency'wer' simply a blue filter. If the blue tr arencyjhas not a suiiiciently perfect .of transparence, that lack may be corrected' by'superposing in registration the blue transparency a' corresponding ngative "gelatine-relief transparency dyedin a-'yellow or yellowishcolor.

The passageof theA blue light through the image portion lO'fprints that image onto final negative'NL On the other' hand blue light cannot pass through'the'-ed ground G; onlyred light ycan' p l through that ground. The red light that passes through the red ground does not pass through transparency T uniformly but, as I have said before, passes through that transparency just as if the transparency were an ordinary black and white positive. The result is that all the parts of the background shown on blue transparency T are printed directly onto final negative N except those parts masked or blocked out by the blue dyed action image 10. The final result is a perfectly matched composite print onto final negative N. Relative intensities of the printings of the two components on the final negative may be controllably varied by varying the relative densities of the dyes used on positive P and transparency T, or may be controlled by regulating the proportionate amount oi blue and red light in the printing light used.

It will be apparent that it makes no difference whether blue transparency T or action positive P is arranged next to negative N. F 2 shows positive I between transparency T and negative N. rl'he selective printing resultsare the same as before described.

In the foregoing described methods it is the colors of positive P and transparency T that effect the selective printing of the desired component parts onto thc final negative. In the method illustratori in Figs. 3 and 4 selectivity of printing is accomplished without the use of the blue transparency. In that case an ordinary black and vchite transparent. positive T1 used, the action positive P being the same as before. lVith the action positive and transparency 'IJL in superposed printing relation, the printing exposure is made on final negative N with red light only. The red light will pass only through the red ground G of positive P, being blocked out from image 10 by its blue dye. Consequently, in this exposure only the parts of the positive 'Ix surrounding the position'ef action image l0 will be printed onto final negative N; that part of final neg ative N that corresponds to the position of the act-n image being left uncxposed. Then Vafter removing the positive T,l another exposure is made with blue light alone, as shown in F ig. 4. This blue light is cut oil' by the red ground G and passes only through the blue dyed image 10. printing the. image onto the final negative in the previously unexposed area. The final results 'are the same as before. The sequences of these two successive printings may of course be reversed if desired V lVheri I say that the first mentioned print- -ing is accomplished with red light, it will be understood that any light containing red, or light that will pass the red filter, and not containing lights that will pass the blue filter,' will suflice; and thatin" the second printing any light containing-blue, or light that will pass the'blue filter, but not contaming light that will pass the red filter, will suflice` And when I speak herein of photographic images (transparencies T and T1 and positive fil P) it will be recognized that these images may be prepared in other manners, may even be prepared or made by hand.

I claim:

1. A method of producing a composite photograph embodying images of two components, that includes making on a limited area of a ground an image of one component, coloring the image area substantially uniformly in a selected color to transmit substantially only light of that selected color, and coloring the surrounding ground sub- Stantiallj.' uniformly in a color having a minus relation to the selected image color so that the ground will transmit predominately light of said last mentioned color, making an image of the other component, and selectively printing the two components onto different parts of a fresh actinic surface with printing lights of the two said colors.

2. A method of producing a composite photograph embodying images of two cemponents, that includes making on a lfmited area of a transparent ground an image of one component, coloring the image area substantially uniformly in a selected transparent color to transmit substantially only light of that selected color, and coloring the surrounding ground substantially uniformly in a transparent'color having a minus relation to the selected image color so that the ground will transmit predomi nantly light of said last mentioned color`v making a transparent image of the other component and selectively printing through both the photographic images with lights of the two said colors onto different parts of a fresh actinic surface.

3. A method of producing a composite photograph embodying images of two components, that includes making on a limited area of a ground an image of one component, coloring the image area substantially uniformly in a selected color to transmit` substantially only'light of that selected color, and coloring the surrounding ground substantiallyuniformly in 4a colorhaving a minus relation to the'selectedimagecolor so that 'the ground will transmit predominantly light of said last mentioned color, making an image of the other component, placing both component images in superposed printing relation, printing from both ofthem in such superposed relation onto a -resh actinie surface with light of the second mentioned color` and printing from the colored component image only onto said fresh actinic surface with light of the first mentioned color.

4. A method of producing` a composite photograph embodying images :of two components, that includes making -on a limited area of a transparent ground an image of one component, coloring the image area substantially uniformly in a selected transparent color to transmit substantially only light of that selected color, and roloring the surrounding ground substantially uniformly in a transparent color having a m`nus relation to the selected image color so that the ground will transmit predominantly light (it said last mentioned color, makin" a transparent image of the other component, placing both component images in superposed printing reiation, printing from both of them in such superposed relation onto a fre-sh actinic surface with light of the second mentioned color, and printing from the colored component image only onto said fresh actinic surface with light of the lirst mentioned color.

5. A method of producing a composite photograph embodying images of two coniponents, that includes making on a limited area of a transparent ground an image of one component, coloring the image area substantially uniformly in .a seieCted. transparent color to transmit subst,antiallvonlylight of that selected color, and coloring the sun rounding ground substantially uniIormly in a transparent color having a minus relation to the selected .image color so that the ground will transmit predominantly light of said last mentioned-color, making .a transparent color image of the other component in the vcolor of the first mentioned image-area, said color image being substantially uniformly transparent .to light of its said .colorbut variantlytransparent to light of a relatively minus eolor,`placing vboth component images in superposed printing relation, and printingt-hrough both images simultaneously onto a fresh actinc surface using light containing both said colors.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22 day of January 1927.

ROY J. POMEROY. 

